For years you’ve scoured
the magazines, signed up for updates from travel websites,
and listened to stories told to you by friends who have traveled
abroad. Now it’s your turn. You’re ready to take
the trip of a lifetime, but you know that in order to have
a clear conscience about it, you have to stick to a budget
and make sure you don’t overspend.

Finances

Traveling with a lot of cash is not advisable when
you’re going abroad. You also want to be careful with credit
cards, since they are easily stolen. Maintain financial security
by traveling with prepaid credit cards. This will keep you from
overspending, and if someone else gets hold of your credit card,
they can’t wipe out your bank account.

Travel Miles

If you have time before you plan to take your trip,
consider signing up with a credit card that offers you mileage for
your purchases. How does charging keep your costs down? Just use
it to buy items that you would normally purchase anyway. That way
you won’t be spending more, and your travel points will still
add up. Many airlines will allow you to put points towards tickets
even if you don’t have enough cash for one complete free ticket.

Accommodations

You don’t have to stay in an expensive hotel
when you travel. Do some social networking to see if you have any
connections to friends and family in the area you plan to travel.
They might be willing to put you up for free. You can also stay
in hostels or a vacation rental, which is often more affordable
then purchasing rooms in a hotel. Since many vacation
rentals come with kitchens, you can save money on food going
to local grocery stores and cooking your own food instead of constantly
eating out in restaurants.

Traveling abroad is an exciting experience. Keeping
costs down allows you to enjoy the vacation that you deserve.